nationstate

A nation-state is a sovereign political unit whose borders closely align with a national community—people who share a common language, culture, and history. It pairs political authority with a sense of national belonging, and is expected to provide governance, security, and public goods to that community.

The concept arose with modern nationalism in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries and has since shaped state formation worldwide. It is commonly understood as self-determination through territorial sovereignty, though many states host multiple national or ethnic groups.

In legal terms, the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States (1933) defines a state as a permanent population, a defined territory, government, and capacity to conduct foreign relations. A nation-state emphasizes that political authority reflects a defined national community.

Many states are not perfectly homogeneous. Nation-states may pursue civic nationalism, promoting citizenship and institutions regardless of ethnicity, while multinational states contain several nations and may grant autonomy or minority rights. Stateless nations lack sovereignty within a recognized state and highlight limits to the nation-state model.

Scholars commonly cite Japan or Iceland as near-nation-states due to cohesive language and culture combined with centralized governance, while the United States, India, or Canada illustrate more plural, multiethnic nation-states. Critics warn that nationalism can exclude minorities and that globalization or supranational orders challenge strict state boundaries.